Biography of
Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian born French author, graphic novelist, director, and illustrator. As a child, she attended the Lycée Français in Tehran where her family was involved with communist and leftist political groups partly responsible for the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Her graphic novel, Persepolis, is a memoir of her childhood growing up during the Revolution, the subsequent Islamic regime that took control of Iran after the Revolution, and the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980's.

In 1983, Satrapi was sent to Austria by her parents where she attended the Lycée Français de Vienne. She returned to Iran after graduating high school where she attended university. She received her diploma and then received a Masters degree in Visual Communication. At 21, Satrapi married an Iranian man, but the marriage lasted only three years. Satrapi has written about these events in her later life in the second installment of her graphic novel series, Persepolis 2.

Satrapi became well known for her work through the publication of the Persepolis novels. First published in France, the novels were published in the United States in the early 2000's where they won numerous awards and much critical acclaim. Satrapi co-wrote and co-directed an animated film version of Persepolis which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007. In 2008, the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Satrapi continues her animation and film-making work at her home in France.

Study Guides on Works by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis was originally published in France where it won several awards and wide acclaim. In 2003, the novel was published by Random House in the United States. Persepolis is a graphic novel which tells the story of its author and her childhood...